Rattler Wrestling

Meet Your 2017 - 2018 Rattlers Wrestling Team

 

After a successful first season, the Otero Junior College wrestling team is back on the mat. During last year’s Inaugural-Year the team qualified seven wrestlers for the NJCAA national tournament with two wrestlers, Gunner Laffoon (133), and Anthony Hinkle (149), wrestled their way to All-American honors.

First-year Head Coach Matthew Paeth reports that the 2017-18 team is focused on building upon the Inaugural-Year’s successes and have their sights set on future NJCAA National Championships.

“This season the team will be traveling to open tournaments while redshirting and forgoing post-season competitions,”. Paeth explained. “Having last year’s seven national qualifiers and two All-Americans was great, but my expectations are higher. If Otero qualifies seven wrestlers, we will bring home seven All-Americans,” he predicts.

According to Paeth, he is concentrating on developing the team’s wrestlers into better athletes and students.

“We are creating a culture of ‘The Rattler Way’, instilling discipline and hard work to mold these young men in to college graduates and national champions. The wrestling coaching staff, faculty and administration accept, and welcome, this philosophy and we all expect nothing less out of our student athletes.”

Paeth states that he believed there is a lot of talent in the wrestling room this year and he and his coaching staff are excited about the future of the Otero Wrestling Program.